The purpose of architecture is to change people's lives

An architect from JapanTakaharu Tezuka will take part in the 100+TechnoBuild Forum and exhibition in autumn in Yekaterinburg.

Takaharu Tezuka was born in Tokyo, studied architecture at the Musashi Institute of Technology and in University of Pennsylvania. In 1994, together with his wife Yui Tezuka founded Tezuka Architects in Tokyo. Many of his works have received international awards, including Fuji Kindergarten in Tokyo, Sora-no-Mori Clinic, Muku Kindergarten and others.
Takaharu Tezuka told how architecture helps to create conditions for a high-quality life for people in an interview in preparation for 100+.

Mr. Tezuka, what changes can occur in architecture and urban planning after the pandemic?

— The world has changed a lot lately. We are moving from designing on an international scale to designing each project individually. Many have started to wonder how they design in each specific location.
Before the pandemic, I didn't know how beautiful the view from my window was — I didn't have time to stop and look around. Now in There are a lot more people on the streets of Japan than there were before the crisis. Because people don't tend to go to the city center, they walk around their neighborhoods, more often on foot. This means that they now have a better opportunity to see what surrounds them.

Locality comes to the fore — what is closer becomes more important in our lives. Now we think that maybe we have everything we need at our fingertips. Cities will strive more towards polycentricity.

This year's theme is "Conscious Construction"? What does mindfulness in construction mean to you?

— Architecture must return to its original purpose. For a long time, we did not take into account environmental factors and sought to unify them. For example, to meet international standards, air conditioners were installed everywhere. But for a conscious approach to construction, it is necessary to take into account the local climate and use materials of local origin. The weather conditions in each specific location are often quite comfortable. For example, on hot summer days in In Tokyo, you can go to the beach, enjoy nature, and ice cream seems especially delicious in this weather.

One of your famous projects is the Fuji kindergarten with a round roof for children to walk around. What features did you consider when creating it?
— I did not expect that this kindergarten would receive such recognition and attract attention. We must always think about how architecture will affect people. Every project should have a basic idea, and the architect should understand how it will change a person's life.

During the design process, we conducted research on the behavior of children and their needs. Many people have told us that the kindergarten's architecture is primitive, but the building's design is quite relevant. It allows children to look at the world more broadly. Growing up, I hope they will be able to see the surrounding reality in a different way.
We have studied all the types of movement that can occur in this building. We modeled the speaker system and all the architectural elements of the building on a computer, and selected the optimal materials. For example, the window frames and floors were made of wood.

Fuji Kindergarten is designed for 680 children, 250 new kids come every year. This means that in 10 years we will affect the lives of 2,500 people, in 20 years — 5,000. I am sure that this is the power of architecture — to change people's lives.

The topic of your speech at the Nostalgic Future forum. What do you mean by this concept?

— Many people say that in the future everything should be futuristic, but I think that's not the point.

Yes, we use modern technologies, they make our lives safer and more convenient. Our children use the phone to draw, we can go to the jungles of Borneo and there will be GPS. At the same time, a person remains unchanged — the shape of our body, our emotions, and sensations are the same as they were many centuries ago.

In my opinion, the nostalgic future is our real life, which technology helps to improve.

What are you working on now? What are your plans for the future?

— I always say that I don't make plans for the future, I live in the present moment. I am currently working on a project aimed at changing the city. This project is, in fact, controlled by the Japanese mafia. The Yakuza wants change too.

It is an educational center where people of any age and from different backgrounds could study. Those who did not receive a good education, and did not even graduate from high school. We need to give them a chance, it will open up new opportunities for them. The project will also help children who did not grow up in the most prosperous and well-off families. This center will have different programs for each student, regardless of age. The teachers of the center also have a slightly different role — they will not teach the alphabet and mathematics, but will become a kind of curator who teaches how to live in society and grow up as a full-fledged person.

If everything goes well, in a few years I will know that I have changed an entire city.